India Cricket News

Australia in India 2008 Cricket Test Series

Aussies plan to delay Tendulkar cricket record bid

Sept 30, 2008

Australia skipper Ricky Ponting said Tuesday his team will try their best to make Indian batsman Sachin Tendulkar struggle for his world record in the upcoming Test series.
Tendulkar needs just 77 runs to beat retired West Indies captain Brian Lara's landmark of 11,953 and is expected to reach the milestone in the four-Test series beginning in Bangalore on October 9.
"I don't have too many great memories of him because he tends to score heavily against us," Ponting said.
"I have the highest regard for him. He is a true champion, one of the all-time greats, and reaching this milestone would be a great reward for him.
"But we are here to win and know pretty well that we have to dismiss him early if we are to win here. We have come here with a few plans for him and hope our plans click."
Tendulkar, who has averaged 56 against Australia in 25 Tests, already holds three world records -- the highest number of runs in one-day internationals (16,361) and most centuries in Tests (39) and one-dayers (42).
Key Australian paceman Brett Lee said he had been looking forward to bowling to one of the great batsmen.
"He is a world-class player who has proved himself over more than a decade," said Lee.
"You talk about Don Bradman, Lara, Sachin and probably Ricky. It is an honour to bowl to Sachin and getting his wicket is the ultimate prize."
Australian fast bowler Mitchell Johnson said it was always a challenge to bowl to Tendulkar.
"I don't want to make any prediction but I can say it is going to be a great challenge (to bowl to him)," said Johnson.
Tendulkar said Monday he was not focusing on the world record but on the team's performance.
"I just have to go and play my best. Records will come if you keep playing well. My mind is not on the 77 runs and it is not as if I can relax after getting these runs," he said.
"For the four Tests against Australia the team has some targets and I am more focused on those."
Tendulkar was recently declared fit for the Australia Tests after missing the one-day series in Sri Lanka last month due to an elbow injury.
Australia play their only practice game before the series here from October 2. The Bangalore Test will be followed by back-to-back matches in Mohali, New Delhi and Nagpur.

Australia happy to play in Delhi

Sept 29, 2008

Cricket Australia have no plans to demand a change of location for the third Test against India next month despite another bomb in Delhi.
The team, which pulled out of a scheduled tour to Pakistan earlier this year because of safety fears, will have increased security for the four-Test series but will await feedback from experts before making a decision on the Delhi Test.
CA spokesman Peter Young told the Sydney Morning Herald: "We are not due to go to New Delhi for the best part of a month and I would guess that unless our security advice changes I wouldn't expect our plans to change."
He added: "Certainly the briefings we have been getting have suggested no immediate need to change our processes. Our advice is that there is no specific concern about cricket."

Indian cricket squad to be named on Oct 1

Sept 29, 2008

The Indian cricket squad for the first two tests against Australia will be selected in Mumbai on October 1.
"The 14-member team for the first two Tests is to be picked on October 1 in Mumbai. There is a likelihood of the selectors linking up with Anil Kumble, who is expected to be chosen to lead the team, and coach Gary Kirsten in Bangalore," Cricket board sources said.
There is also a possibility that the selection will be done by linking up the selectors through a tele-conference, they said.
The reason for the selectors having a tele-conference with the captain and coach is because the camp for the India probables has already commenced at Bangalore and they may not like to leave the camp, sources said.
The captain and the coach of the team will give their inputs to the selectors but do not have a vote while choosing the team.
The first Test will commence in Bangalore from October 9 while the second is scheduled at Mohali from 17.
It is the first meeting of the newly appointed paid selection panel with former India captain Krish Srikkanth at the helm.
The other members of the panel, appointed at the boards's AGM in Mumbai on September 27, are Yashpal Sharma, Narendra Hirwani, Raja Venkat and Surendra Bhave.

Australian players told to be extra cautious

Sept 28, 2008

The Australian cricket squad's security officer has told the touring players to be extra careful following a bomb blast in New Delhi that killed two people and injured 22 others.
"We are a bit more cautious and the players have been advised accordingly," Frank Dimasi told The Associated Press on Sunday as the Australian team finished its weeklong training stint in Jaipur. "The security here in Jaipur has not been a problem."
Australian squad spokesman Matthew Slade said Cricket Australia had been briefed about Saturday's bombing.
"There's a process that we have to undergo during such incidents to take a view of the situation," Slade said. "It seems there is no immediate urgency to take any drastic step.
"We don't think there is going to be a problem, but something definite can be said only after collecting data and information related to team security."
Australia is scheduled to play the third test against India from Oct. 29 in New Delhi, which was also hit by a series of bombs two weeks ago that killed 21 people and wounded about 100 others.
After those bombings, Cricket Australia sought a review of the security situation before asking its players to proceed on the tour.
Meanwhile, the Press Trust of India said India's federal interior ministry issued a directive to states and cities hosting the Australian team's matches, asking for a strengthening of security measures.
Australia plays a four-day warmup match against the Indian Cricket Board President's XI in the southern city of Hyderabad next week before the first test starts from Oct. 9 in Bangalore.
Mohali and Nagpur are the other test venues on the tour.
Australia rookies Doug Bollinger (3-9) and Jason Krejza (3-35) enjoyed success as the tourists quickly ran through the Rajasthan Cricket Academy XI on Sunday to wrap up the two-day match.
Fast bowler Brett Lee claimed 2-17 as the academy team was bowled out for 122, in reply to Australia's total of 218.

Delhi v Rest of India: Irani Trophy 2008-09 at Vadodara

Irani Trophy, Day 3: Rest of India beat Delhi to lift Irani Trophy

Sep 26, 2008

Rest of India (ROI) lifted the Irani Trophy beating Ranji Trophy champions Delhi by 187 runs on the fourth day at Vadodara on Saturday.
Chasing 378 to win, Delhi were bowled out for 190 as Gautam Gambhir's valiant 91 went in vain. ROI, who made 252 runs in the first innings, managed to reach 302 in the second to take a 377-run lead. The Ranji Trophy champions were skittled out for 177 in the first innings.
Resuming at the overnight score of 113 for three, Delhi batsmen failed to show patience to adjust to the slow nature of the track and the innings folded in little more than two hours.
After the third day's play, the writing was on the wall for the Ranji Trophy winners as only a miracle could have saved them. But it was not to be.
An injured Aakash Chopra came out to bat with overnight batsman Gambhir raising hopes of a fight-back in the Delhi camp. The hope was short-lived as Chopra didn't trouble the scorers and departed in the second over after Zaheer Khan rattled his stumps.
Then on it was just a matter of time for the Delhi team, as ROI's spin-twin Anil Kumble and Harbhajan Singh tormented the tail. Harbhajan returned with figures of 4/31 while skipper Kumble was a miser with his 3/19.
With wickets tumbling at other end, Gambhir fought a lonely battle aggressively. His 173-ball innings, which was studded with 12 boundaries, came to an end when he edged Kumble to wicketkeeper Dhoni.

Irani Trophy, Day 2: Munaf leads Rest of India fightback

Sep 25, 2008

Munaf Patel turned the tables on Delhi with a four-wicket haul as the Ranji Trophy champions collapsed for 177 in reply to Rest of India's (ROI) 252 in the first innings on the second day of the Irani Trophy match at Vadodara Thursday.
ROI went on tighten their grip on the match after that as they reached 99 for one by stumps, an overall lead of 174 runs with three full days of play left at the Reliance Stadium.
Rahul Dravid (34 not out) and Subramanium Badrinath (33 not out) were at the crease after Pradeep Sangwan gave Delhi their lone breakthrough having Wasim Jaffer (21) caught off Akash Chopra.
Resuming at the overnight 21 for no loss, Delhi were tottering at 131 for five at lunch after Munaf struck claiming three for 23.
Opener Gautam Gambhir (5) went in the second over of the day, caught in the slips by Dravid off Zaheer Khan.
Munaf then sent back well-settled Aakash Chopra (42), who added 58 runs with skipper Virender Sehwag (43) for the second wicket.
Chopra's 68-ball stay ended when he edged one to Mohammad Kaif at second slip.
Munaf then removed Virat Kohli (4), caught by a diving Mahendra Singh Dhoni.
Sehwag played some big shots before falling to Anil Kumble, while Munaf struck again in the very next over to remove Mithun Manhas (4), also caught by Dhoni.
Harbhajan Singh (2-32) dismissed Puneet Bisht and Chetanya Nanda before Anil Kumble (2-34) wrapped up the Delhi innings, trapping Ishant Sharma leg before.

Irani Trophy, Day 1: Delhi dismiss Rest Of India for 252

Sep 24, 2008

Delhi bowlers wrecked the Rest Of India (ROI) batting, dismissing them for 252 in the first innings on day one of Irani Trophy at Vadodara on Wednesday.
Ishant Sharma (3-22) bent his back to extract bounce from the docile track to trouble India's mainline batsmen. He was well supported by young left-arm pacer Pradeep Sangwan (3-57) and leg-spinner Chetanya Nanda who got the ball to turn and bounce to claim three for 60.
Openers Akash Chopra (16) and Gautam Gambhir (4) were at the crease at stumps as Delhi ended the day at 21.
For ROI, Wasim Jaffer scored a half century while Rahul Dravid, surprisingly send in to open the batting, scored a wobbly 46. The rest of the batsmen looked rusty and uncomfortable out in the middle.
The openers gave a cautious start to the innings with a 77-run stand. Dravid bided his time as Ishant bowled a terrific first spell. The lanky fast bowler gave only three runs from his five overs, bowling three maidens, though his rewards came later.
Dravid took 34 balls to reach the double figures while Jaffer broke the shackles with two consecutive boundaries off Pradeep Sangwan's first over with a wristy flick to mid-wicket and a fluent cover drive.
Nanda broke the partnership when Jaffer drove the leg-spinner uppishly to be caught at short-extra cover. Jaffer's knock included five boundaries. ROI were 105 for one at the end of first session.
Soon after the lunch, Ishant ended Dravid's stay in the middle with a sharp incoming delivery to get him legbefore. Dravid's 46 came off 95 balls with four boundaries.
Ishant struck again when Subramaniam Badrinath drag a delivery on to his stumps as ROI slumped to 3-127.
V.V.S Laxman (21) and Mohammad Kaif (29) tried to build a partnership but could not do much. Nanda got rid of Laxman who tried to hit him over the mid-wicket while skipper Virender Sehwag removed Kaif. Sangwan then forced Mahendra Singh Dhoni to edge to slip to expose the tail.

Indian players face the test at Irani Cup

Sep 24, 2008

The Irani Cup match beginning at Vadodara today will be the last opportunity for players from Rest of India and Ranji Trophy champions Delhi to impress the selectors before the four-Test series against Australia kicks off.
Delhi, led by in-form Virender Sehwag, looks a balanced side on paper but the star-filled Rest of India under Anil Kumble will be tough to match.
Sachin Tendulkar’s pull-out from the match has deprived him of some useful match practice while Mohammad Kaif will be trying to fill the place created by the omission of Sourav Ganguly.
Rahul Dravid would want to end his long run-drought and also prove that he is still good at the Test level.
Another batsman who would be closely watched is Wasim Jaffer, who had a terrible run in Australia and the home series against South Africa. The race for the openers slot is open with both Akash Chopra and Virat Kohli making a case for themselves with their performance in Mohammad Nissar Trophy last week. As of now Gautam Gambhir appears to partner Sehwag in the first Test starting in Bangalore from October 9. In the bowling department, RP Singh and Munaf Patel would want to put up a solid show and get a call-up for the first Test.

India Player News

Kapil Dev commissioned as Lieutenant Colonel in Army

Sept 24, 2008

Legendary all-rounder Kapil Dev, who led India to the 1983 World Cup win, was today commissioned in the Territorial Army (TA) as an honorary Lieutenant Colonel.
"Kapil has been commissioned as an honorary Lieutenant Colonel in the Territorial Army (TA)," a Defence official said.
The 50-year-old Kapil was inducted into the 150 TA (Infantry) battalion of the Punjab Regiment.
Army chief Gen Deepak Kapoor, himself has piped the badgets of rank on Kapil's shoulders at a ceremony in the Army headquarters in the presence of TA Additional Director General Major General K V S Lalotra.
"This is my second innings. Earlier I used to fight for the country in my white uniform and now I will do the same in this Green Army uniform," Kapil said after the ceremony.
As the Army is facing a major crunch in the officer cadre, Kapil's induction will help in attracting more talented and young people, the official said.
Kapil, who is also the chairman of the rebel Indian Cricket League (ICL), might just face a tough time against the "original" Colonel of Indian cricket Dilip Vengsarkar who is the selection chairman in the BCCI.

Australia in India 2008 Cricket Test Series

Yuvraj to lead in Australia's warm-up match

Sept 23, 2008

Test discard Yuvraj Singh gets a chance to return to the Indian team after being picked on Tuesday to lead the hosts in a warm-up match for the touring Australians.
The elegant left-hander will captain the Indian board president's XI in the four-day match beginning in Hyderabad on October 2, said the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI).
Singh, a regular in India's one-day and Twenty20 side, has played only 23 Tests since his debut in 2003, scoring 1,050 runs at an average of 32.81 with three centuries.
He was dropped for the recent Test series in Sri Lanka and was not considered for the five-day Irani Cup domestic tie, regarded as a trial match for the Australian series, which begins in Vadodara on Wednesday.
The board president's squad of 15 includes 12 current or former India internationals like Wasim Jaffer, Aakash Chopra, Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Parthiv Patel, Irfan Pathan and Shanthakumaran Sreesanth.
The match will be Australia's lone first-class match before the four-Test series opens in Bangalore on October 9. The remaining back-to-back Tests will be played in Mohali, New Delhi and Nagpur.
Indian board president's squad: Yuvraj Singh (Captain), Subramaniam Badrinath, Wasim Jaffer, Aakash Chopra, Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Parthiv Patel (wicket-keeper), Irfan Pathan, Shanthakumaran Sreesanth, Piyush Chawla, Pragyan Ojha, Pankaj Singh, Manpreet Gony, Yogesh Takawale, Rakesh Dhurv.

Australian cricket team arrives for test tour of India

Sept 22, 2008

The Australian cricket team led by Ricky Ponting arrived here today for a four-Test tour of India commencing at Bangalore on October 9.
The squad did not come out of the international terminal and were scheduled to take a connecting flight from the domestic terminal to Jaipur, according to Cricket Board sources.
The team is scheduled to play a few practice games in Jaipur before reaching Hyderababd on September 29 to commence official part of the tour, they added.
The stay at Jaipur and practice matches against Rajasthan Cricket Academy has been arranged by the Rajasthan Cricket Association and not the Cricket Board.

Ponting seeks to play India cricket series in right spirit

Sept 21, 2008

Australian captain Ricky Ponting said Sunday he was hopeful next month's four-Test cricket series with India will be played in the right spirit.
The 15-man Australian squad left here late Sunday with only four players armed with Test match experience in India.
The nations were embroiled in an acrimonious series in Australia this year with Indian spinner Harbhajan Singh banned for three matches for allegedly racially abusing Australian allrounder Andrew Symonds during the second Test in Sydney in January.
The suspension was later overturned following an appeal hearing, but the relations between the two sides deteriorated as senior Australian batsman Matthew Hayden called Harbhajan an "obnoxious weed" on radio during the subsequent one-day series.
Ponting said a number of major issues would be discussed by the teams during the traditional pre-series referees meeting and he was hopeful next month's matches would be played in the right spirit.
"There's been a very healthy rivalry between India and Australia in one-day and Test cricket and our last few Test encounters have been very good and some very close results," Ponting told reporters before the team's departure.
"Hopefully, this is another great series played in the right spirit."

Toronto offered as alternative venue

Sept 18, 2008

Canadian cricket authorities have offered Toronto as an alternative venue for the India-Australia series if Ricky Ponting-led Aussie team does not visit India because of security concerns.
“We hope the Aussie tour of India will go through. But if the Australians cancel their trip citing security concerns, we are willing to hold their matches here. Our proposal is not only for this series, but also for any such eventuality in the future,” Cricket Canada CEO Mr Atul Ahuja told.
He added, “If security issues lead to cancellation of future tours to the sub-continent, Cricket Canada would request all the cricket boards - India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh - to help us build a Friendship Stadium in Toronto to serve as an alternative venue for the series cancelled for security reasons.” Mr Ahuja said he raised this issue when he was invited by the Board of Control for Cricket in India for the inauguration of the Indian Premier League in April.
“I spoke with Mr Sharad Pawar, Arjuna Ranatunga of Sri Lanka Cricket and Mr Nasim Ashraf of the Pakistani Cricket Board at that time. They all said it is a good idea. Pawar was very sympathetic, but there was no follow up.”
He said he would take up the issue again if the Aussie tour of India does not take place.
“In the current atmosphere, Toronto can be a solution to the problem. We used to host the Sahara Cup between India and Pakistan here, so why can't we be given the opportunity to hold the series which will otherwise be cancelled?”
The Cricket Canada CEO said this will help in the growth of cricket in Canada. “The staging of series between giants like Australia and India will give a major boost to cricket in our country and help us build world-class cricketing facilities,” he told.
Asked whether Cricket Canada has the facilities to hold the current India-Australia series, he said, ''Our Maple Leaf ground is as per ICC norms. All we need is making seating arrangements around the ground. We are eager to have more and more cricket here.”

Ponting backs CA's decision to tour India

Sept 18, 2008

Captain Ricky Ponting has defended Cricket Australia's decision to go ahead with India tour despite recent bomb blasts in New Delhi, saying the the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade and independent security experts have given them green signal.
Terming the decision 'serious', Ponting told the Australian, "Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade have obviously been in very close contact with CA over the last few days.
"As we all know and has been outlined already, these are very different circumstances between India and Pakistan right at the moment and the Board has made that very clear."
He added that both as captain and player of the team he is comfortable to visit India on the advice of CA and the Australian Cricketer's Association.
The skipper also welcomed volatile all-rounder Andrew Symonds decision to return to the game as a better person.
"I actually think there were some really positive signs over the last couple of days with Andrew," said Ponting.
"He's fronted the media and admitted that there's some room for improvement in certain parts of his life," he added.

Security could still scupper Australia tour of India: Ponting

Sept 17, 2008

Security concerns in the wake of a series of bomb attacks could still scupper the Australian cricket team's upcoming tour of India, captain Ricky Ponting indicated Wednesday.
The team and officials will constantly monitor the situation with the assistance of the Australian government ahead of their scheduled departure this weekend, Ponting said.
"Anything could happen tomorrow, things change very quickly in the world right at the moment," he told reporters in Canberra.
"Cricket Australia will continue to be in touch and the government will continue to be in touch, and Cricket Australia will keep us players and the players' association in the loop on a daily, if not hourly basis."
Cricket Australia said Tuesday the tour would go ahead despite five coordinated bomb blasts which ripped through crowded markets across the Indian capital on Saturday evening, killing more than 20 people.
The 15-man squad is due to leave this weekend with the first of four Tests starting in Bangalore on October 9. Delhi will host one Test match from October 29.
Ponting said Australia's foreign affairs department had been providing detailed information to Cricket Australia about the security situation.
Cricket Australia general manager Michael Brown rejected claims that the tour of India would go ahead despite the bombings because of money or the power of Indian cricket's governing body.
While there were reciprocal obligations with India in terms of tours, security would always be central to deciding whether a tour went ahead.
"The only reasons we can't play and participate is for security reasons and we'll keep monitoring those as time goes by," Brown said.
Cricket Australia's decision to go ahead with the tour of India drew scathing criticism from Pakistan on Tuesday.
Australia was one of the nations that declined to tour Pakistan this month for the International Cricket Council's Champions Trophy on security grounds, which led to the tournament being put off by a year.
Australia also refused to undertake a Test tour of Pakistan in March-April for similar security fears.

Cricket Australia confirms India tour

Sept 16, 2008

Australia's tour of India will go ahead as planned although security around the team will be stepped up.
The four-Test trip had been in doubt after a series of bombs in New Delhi at the weekend which killed at least 20 and injured more than 90 others but Cricket Australia are satisfied the safety arrangements put in place are adequate and the players and support staff will leave for India as scheduled on September 21.
"Our advice is there are some concerns and to exercise caution, but currently they do not compromise the tour," Cricket Australia general manager of Public Affairs Peter Young said.
Tight security arrangements are in place for the Australia A team now in India and will also be arranged for the Australia team for the four-Test tour, which includes a Test match in New Delhi starting on 29 October.
"In consultation with the BCCI, we have upgraded security in and around the dressing rooms and they will have an escort to the ground," Young said.
"Australia A players have also been told not to leave the hotel without good reason. It's just a matter of prudence."

Australian cricket assesses India security

Sept 15, 2008

Cricket Australia has asked its security adviser for an assessment on the situation in India after the bomb blasts in New Delhi.
The Australian squad is due to start a four test series in India next month, with the third test scheduled to be played in New Delhi from October 29.
The Australian team is due to fly to India on Sunday and play two warm up matches in Jaipur and Hyderabad.

Symonds left out of Australian squad for India

Sept 12, 2008

All-rounder Andrew Symonds has been dropped from the Australian squad for the upcoming series against India. Cricket Australia on Friday omitted his name from the 15-member Test squad for the four-Test tour to India.
Symonds, who first broke the headlines accusing Indian spinner Harbhajan Singh for racially abusive remark, recently came into controversy again – this time in Australian media and cricket – when he was left out from a three-match ODI series against Bangladesh for missing a team meeting and instead choosing to go for fishing.
Australian National Selection Panel Chairman Andrew Hilditch said: "Andrew Symonds was stood down for disciplinary reasons in Darwin and is now going through a process managed by Cricket Australia designed to give him time to assess whether he is fully committed to all of the things needed for a cricketer to be a member of the world's number one team."
Symonds omission has further pushed the inclusion of Shane Watson to return to the side. He has had a good domestic season and also had a successful IPL T20 start off while playing for Rajasthan Royals.
The team has included two new spinners—leg-spinner Bryce McGain and off-spinner Jason Krejza. It will be certainly interesting to look at whether these two fill the gap of Shane Warne, Stuart MacGill and Brad Hogg.
Again fast bowlers like Brett Lee and Stuart Clark are yet to play their first Test match on Indian track though they have a good amount of experience of One-Day internationals.
Australian Team: Ricky Ponting (Captain), Michael Clarke (vc), Doug Bollinger, Stuart Clark, Brad Haddin, Matthew Hayden, Michael Hussey, Phil Jaques, Mitchell Johnson, Simon Katich, Jason Krejza, Brett Lee, Bryce McGain, Peter Siddle, Shane Watson.
The first test is scheduled to be played in Bangalore on October 9. The next is on Oct 17 in Mohali followed by matches in Delhi on Oct 29 and Nagpur on Nov 5.

Lee commits to India tour

Sept 4, 2008

Paceman Brett Lee has committed himself to play in Australia's tour of India next month.
Lee is sitting out the current one-day international series against Bangladesh after Cricket Australia (CA) allowed him time away following the break-up of his marriage last month. However, the 31-year-old has indicated his willingness to rejoin the team for their four-Test tour of the sub-continent.
"Absolutely. I'm looking forward to it. Can't wait," Lee said.
The news will come as some relief to CA with all-rounder Andrew Symonds likely to miss the tour as he contemplates his international future.
Symonds was sent home one the eve of the first ODI against Bangladesh on Saturday for breaching team rules when he opted to go fishing instead of attending a compulsory team meeting.
CA will be hoping that time off invigorates Symonds in the same way it has apparently done so to Lee, who spoke glowingly of his desire to return and tour India.
"I'll be looking forward to getting over there," he said.
"The crowds are brilliant, the people are so friendly and lovely. It's a tough place to play cricket but also one that is very enjoyable."